nzo.califa pix

Monday, January 12, 2015

nzo.califa Dance Works "Form and Function" classes draws inspiration from an historical era of Dance training in the Bay Area reared at legacy Cultural Dance Institutions such as Oakland Parks and Recreation Department,Wajumbe Cultural Center, Laney College Dance Dept. and Everybody's Creative Arts Center, responsible for making SanFrancisco/Oakland Bay Area a West Coast Dance destination place! Today the Bay Area is a vibrantly enriched cultural landscape made unique in its own character and the home to some of the country's celebrated African Dance and Diaspora Institutions and Festivals.

Classes are led by its Creator, Regina Califa who hails from these institutions as Life Student, Cultural caretaker and Professional Teaching Artist. Formalized in Jazz Dance, Dunham, Contemporary and Ballet, she encompasses
a foundation and Ethnography deeply rooted in multi-African Dance-Drumming-Spiritual
traditions, with extensive Teaching experience in choreography and training at Community Arts Centers, OUSD, SFUSD, Performing Arts Schools, Fitness Centers, Dance Sports Programs, Carnaval Programming and Communal Dance ritual and presentation. She's a well-versed performance Artist, sought after for her expertise as a "Cultural translator" in African Diaspora Dance Cultural traditions. nzo.califa's motto:

"...where Dance lives and Spirit moves."

Co-partnered with Boom Shake Music, January Tuesdays at In the Groove Dance Studio site, Students will learn Brasilian Dance movement styles such as DançaLibre, Popular and Orixa movement - utilizing exciting music trax - Tribal, Samba Reggae, Axe' and Samba Funke'.

Sunday, February 1st, at the historicMalonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts, join a February Fête of Dance-building activity in kinship with Omulu Capoeira-Kintuari#GoodGIVE360 a nzo califa Dance Works initiative encourages our #Dance Community to Give more "in Dance". Keeping in tradition of Malonga Center legacy, Sunday sessions are a Communal Dance Experience utilizing African Diaspora movement forms [ Brasilian, Cuban, Haitian ] to influential Jazz, Contemporary and Popular music styles, with accompanying guest musicians as the Season unfolds. This class is the jump off of the day and will incite Students to engage in the regularly scheduled programming legacy at theMalonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts 1428 Alice st, Oakland California, 4 blocks towards Lake Merritt near 12th BART downtown Oakland:

nzo.califa's Form and Function classes are designed toward encouraging focused movement, making the learning experience more accessible and to incite further training. All Dance agents of good Spirit are welcomed.

Monday, January 5, 2015

HAPPY NOW YEAR ALL!Pleased to submit this post at the top of the New Year, while listening to Second Line music in the Spirit of refreshment, of being reverent and giving thanks. As I have reflected upon a phenomenal 2014 of cultivating Dance works of impact and service, it'd be the progressive flow of water inspirations that'd usher me into 2015, simply elated and inspired.

"Females carry an ovary

of their grandmother"

This'lorealways fascinated me and became a driving force for me to learn more about my Grandmothers on both sides -- their birth, pregnancy stories and more importantly Love stories. One of the milestones for our Family last year was celebrating my Maternal Grandmother's 90th Birthday; If only to touch "the hem of her garment" honoring our Matriarch who yields 5 generations to date, would assuredly elevate all of our karmic dispositions. A job well done initiated by my Aunties, Uncles and Mom no less. As the Grandchildren were summoned to speak, with nothing prepared and staying prayerful, I knew enough to first ask permission from my Elders first before speaking forward. I began by saluting every one's Ori, giving honor to my Mother and Father and in the gist of my praise, I was commanded to actually speak the names of our Ancestors before Family, friends and communal kinship witnesses of nearly 100. I spoke the names from all 4 of my Family lines, young, old and those I've never met. *breath*When people ask me along the way "Are you still dancing?", without a thought, I respond that Dance IS my breath! My walk reflects that relationship, as my Ancestors remain co-choreographers in my next steps.

I love the Fall into New Year Season because of its enchanting qualities that invoke change and renewal. In my first January 2014blogpost of last year, I informally posed questions drawn from my kinship African Dance and Drum Community regarding sustainability, preservation method platforms, along with inquiry surrounding decorum and communal ritual cycles of regeneration. On the ground, privileged encounters with Cultural gatekeepers, Eldership and OG's in the African Dance and Drum Community shared foresight regarding the consequences to the Community, if it does not continue to plant seeds and shore up the foundation surrounding these questions.I'd like to thank all those who have supported and inspired this blog. I appreciate your commentary and vital exchange along the way producing the kind of relationships that incite vital communal partnering.

End of the year Communal cultural celebrations from last Dance class initiatives, to Kwanzaa ceremonies and Ancestral Harvest cultivations are some of my most favored communal rituals to partake in. Yet, I find that the quality of works up until the very day, is what determines its potency. It makes me think about the process that shall manifest the final yield. It informs me that WE have more work to do, but it's the quality of how that work is imbued that shall bring favor upon our Community. It felt good to begin the year with EkuOdunfor the San Francisco, Bay Areapresided over by Chief Yagbe Awolowo Oniluand hosted and lead by the Ile of Obafemi Oringunwa. It is a very familiar Annual Communal ritual "reading of the year", through IFA to guide Ori, our works, receive messages from our Ancients and collectively strengthen our lives and good works forward. How absolutely comforting, as there were so many deeply reverent messages and perfunctory scientific principles of Biology to Chemistry espoused by proficient teacher and Awo, BabaYagbe. In ritual, we were constantly engaged in honoring our most powerful element - Water for human vitality, the flow of the earth, and as a vital tool for creative potency; It truly filled my heart as human being and Sacred Water Daughter reiterating my divine purpose and daily works in this motion.

Upon IFA inspiration, Obafemi shared a beautiful story of Olokun's expansive properties and depths leaving me with an overarching message of vision in approaching Community-building works; when WE begin to collectively invest and make sacrifices to honor our benefactors adjoined in "shared vision", our Communal potential arises exponentially, to make manifest with overflowing possibilities. To that, there was a message of spark speaking to Oakland's resilient Spirit and pulling together to transcend these times. I smile, I am reverent, I consult, and I continue to DANCE higher!

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